Stories: To Have

Here are some stories of our Wish children receiving gifts.

Aditya Wishes to Use His Wish Gift: A Laptop, to Grow up to Become an IAS Officer

Aditya is a 14-year bright kid taking treatment for a life-threatening medical condition in Pune. His father is an auto rickshaw driver and mother is a housewife.

The wish journey for Aditya started with the Make-A-Wish India’s volunteer meeting Aditya at the hospital when he had come for his blood transfusion in February 2020. He shared many things about his school, his friends, food his mother cooks and how his father struggles to make ends meet. He became most interested when we started to talk about his career and then he shared his desire to be an IAS officer when he grows up, so that he can give his parents all the comforts. As such children cannot travel often, due to the risk of catching some infection, we have to speak to them at length and identify the wish in short span of time.

Aditya expressed he is good in studies, but due to his treatment he is unable to attend school almost 10 days per month. But, on days when there is the computer class, he makes sure to be in school. He shared about why the computer class is interesting, and how he searches for information to learn about the things that he has to study to become an IAS officer. These discussions led to Aditya sharing his wish to have a Laptop, so that on days when he misses school he can study at home and build his general knowledge to help him in his future exams for IAS officer.

In March, Aditya came to the Make-A-Wish India office to give a test to show his computer skills, which is part of our due diligence check to see if child knows how to use the Laptop. This is also done, since parents of such children are not educated and are financially unable to fulfil the child’s wish.

From April 2020, the COVID-19 situation forced a lockdown to be imposed across India, thus causing a delay in the wish to be fulfilled. By July, Make-A-Wish India re-started its offices with minimal staff and by adhering to all safety protocols. Even by September, the supply chain vendors in Pune had not started operations.

Finally, on 29th September 2020, our vendor from Mumbai travelled a distance of 250kms and granted this wish at Aditya’s home. Aditya was thrilled at the pleasant surprise and hugged our vendor, and immediately started to open his laptop. Aditya said, “7th October is my birthday and this is the best advance birthday gift ever”.

Aditya’s parents were overwhelmed and shared “They were least expecting Aditya’s wish to be granted during such tough pandemic times. With loss of income due to COVID, they were unable to get a laptop for Aditya. With an emotional look, they thanked Make-A-Wish India for making this possible and giving Aditya this joy and hope to accomplish his goal”.

Penelope Wishes to Dress up Like a Princess

Penelope is a 5-year-old girl, very talkative and funny.

Even though she is still young, she is very sensitive in nature. She makes friends very easily with people of all ages. Her father Ashlyn is a driver and mother Pooja is a housewife. They are residents of Quepem, Goa. She has a 14-year-old sister Abeny who loves her very much.

When the MAW staff met Penelope at the hospital, they felt they knew her from before, she was so welcoming and a comfortable. In fact, when they asked her who is her best friend, she pointed towards them and said they were her best friends. Penelope’s favourite colour is blue. She likes Barbie stories and movies. She likes makeup and watches a lot of makeup videos on YouTube. Her favourite food is chicken. She likes playing games in her free time. Her favourite cartoon is Marsha the bear. She likes going to the beach and the garden with her family to play. She wants to become a beautician when she grows older.

Her wish is to have a dress, so she can dress up like Elsa – her favourite princess.

Bhauthik Wishes to Have Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage 2018

Bhauthik is a very jolly and playful child. He is very talkative and is the only child in the family. His father is working in IT Company and his mother is a homemaker. He has very limited friends and he loves playing indoor games with his Hot Wheels sets.

This is the 1st referral from Hinduja hospital after the lockdown opened in India. When the volunteer interacted with him he shared that he has a good collection of Hot Wheels cars and games. It is his favourite hobby to have Hot Wheels cars. He has many hot wheel sets but he wished to have the Ultimate Garage 2018, to park all his cars.

Make-A-Wish India quickly approached the Mattel India team to consider support to grant this wish. The Mattel India team who currently are doing work from home, coordinated for the required approvals and confirmed their support to grant this wish.

Mattel sent a surprise courier addressed to the child and he was thrilled to receive such a huge box on his name. He immediately started to unbox the wish gift and was very excited to see his wish come true for a hot wheel Ultimate Garage 2018 set. He started removing all the parts and then started to put together the Garage set. Within an hour he had assembled the full Ultimate Garage 2018 set. He was so happy to receive such a wonderful gift and that too very soon. Bhautik shared “My Hot Wheels collection is now complete. Thank you Make-A-Wish India.”

His parents shared “that in this pandemic time, Bhautik is not allowed to go out and play, as he may catch some infection. But you have given him such a wonderful wish gift, that he can sit at one place and keep himself occupied with this activity. They thanked Make-A-Wish India for such a wonderful gift given to their child, at a time when it was financially difficult for them to arrange this expensive wish gift in this pandemic times”.